Isolde Susset, managing director of Hapag-Lloyd Cruises, is set to retire at the end of the year after 30 years with the cruise line, according to a company statement.

She will remain in post until the end of the year, when she will hand over the reins to Salika Kebschull, who is set to officially take over on January 1, 2027.

Kebschull will join Hapag-Lloyd Cruises on November 1, 2026, and work alongside Susset during a two-month transition period to prepare for the handover.

“Isolde Susset has shaped Hapag-Lloyd Cruises over three decades with great expertise and passion, and has in particular played a decisive role in driving forward the development of our expedition segment. We are extremely grateful to her for this,” said Wybcke Meier, CEO of TUI Cruises.

“In Salika Kebschull, we are gaining an experienced leader who combines expertise in the international luxury hotel industry with sales expertise and cruise experience. The joint transition phase creates the ideal conditions for a seamless handover at the start of the year.”

Susset, who has served as managing director of Hapag-Lloyd Cruises and a member of the Executive Board of TUI Cruises since 2024, noted that she is grateful for the many special developments she was able to shape together with teams and delighted to hand over the responsibility to Kebschull.

For her part, Kebschull said: “Hapag-Lloyd Cruises stands for extraordinary travel experiences, the highest quality and a clear positioning in the luxury and expedition segments.

“I am very much looking forward to getting to know the teams, the ships and crews, and our partners, and to shaping the brand’s future development together. The opportunity to work closely with Isolde Susset from November onwards and to benefit from her many years of experience is a particularly valuable start to my new role.”

Kebschull has held leadership roles in the international luxury hotel industry and in tourism sales throughout her career, in the areas of sales, marketing, revenue management, distribution, e-commerce and business development.

Among other roles, she was general manager of the Hotel München Palace, director of membership services at Relais & Châteaux and director of cruise consultancy at Sea Cloud Cruises.

Most recently, she advised international hotel projects on strategic positioning, sales, guest experience and process optimization.